PMM catches up with Leigh Davies, group marketing and communications general manager at Comline, owners of the Motaquip brand.
Hi there, thanks for talking to PMM! It’s been a while since Motaquip has been seen in the magazine, so the obvious question is can you update our readers about what’s been happening behind the scenes?
Although Motaquip may have been out of the limelight in terms of its trade media presence, there’s been plenty of brand activity taking place, which is helping fuel growth both at home and abroad. As you’d expect, this starts with the ongoing development of our product range, which is fundamental for any brand wanting to be successful in this industry. Since the inception of Motaquip by PSA Group (Peugeot/Citroën) back in 1981, the brand has focused on delivering an all-makes, aftermarket range that combines OE-matching quality, reliability, and ease of fitment. Product expertise has played a huge part in building the brand’s reputation, and we take great care in staying true to our heritage in this area.
For Motaquip, the key is to keep our ranges aligned with the needs of our customers, and our product development team work tirelessly to ensure we are early to market and have the right parts in range. I appreciate this may sound a little cliché – you probably hear this from many brands! – but for Motaquip it’s a core principle. Our steering and suspension range is a great example of how this works in practice. Steering and suspension is a strategic push for the brand and our approach to product development has been both data-driven and focused on delivering the parts that really matter in the market. By carefully analysing vehicle in operation data for the UK car parc and observing part failure rates, we know exactly what’s on the road and broadly when parts will need replacement, meaning we can tailor our range accordingly.
Further product highlights include a refresh of our MOTACELL battery range, the unveiling of Hypermotive oils and lubricants, the impending launch of new Motaquip Hydrotec X wiper blades, and the introduction of new niche categories, such as Adblue injectors.
And how about away from product, what else has been happening with the Motaquip brand that will interest our readers?
Since being spun-off by PSA Group in 2014, Motaquip has been owned and operated by Comline Group. The parent company has continued to invest heavily in brand infrastructure. The most recent and significant move in this regard is an all-new Comline Group HQ, which will be home to the Motaquip brand for years to come. Integral to this new site is a state-of-the-art AutoStore Automated Storage and Retrieval System (ASRS) that deploys 36 robots for super-fast, super-efficient product picking. AutoStore will enhance the speed of service to the motor factors that distribute our product, which, in turn, will see Motaquip parts more readily available to the nation’s garages.
Heading online, if you search for Motaquip, you will also discover an all-new website and a TecDoc-based eCatalogue. The latter, available to you via self-registration on our website is a significant step-forward for the brand. It is one which binds the power and functionality of the market-leading TecDoc platform. Registered users receive access to the complete Motaquip parts catalogue and its corresponding data,including application listings, dimensional data, and OE cross referencing.
Clothing and merchandise is another area where the Motaquip brand is strong and work hard to serve up a wide array of brand support materials. A great example is our ‘Heritage Collection’ clothing, which was designed to celebrate Motaquip’s aftermarket traditions.
Motaquip is a brand steeped in history – what are the main characteristics of the brand that will appeal to garages?
Trust! The history of our brand is one that we are hugely proud of, and there’s no doubt that there is considerable equity in the Motaquip name. This is part of the overall package we offer to you, and a track record of customer trust dating back to the early 1980s is something few brands can claim. Our long-standing reputation is built on the quality of our product; if a part carries the Motaquip name, performance and reliability is guaranteed. For any garage business, where its reputation is on the line with every job, trusting the product is of the utmost importance. For over 40 years, it’s been proven time and again that you can trust in Motaquip.
How does Motaquip guarantee the quality and reliability of its products meet the high standards expected by garages?
Maintaining the high standards we demand for the Motaquip product range is no easy feat, and there are too many processes, procedures, checks and balances to mention here – we’d fill the entire magazine! We understand you need to have confidence in the products you fit, and, with Motaquip, we reflect product confidence with our warranty. The majority of Motaquip products are supplied with a three-year, 36,000-mile warranty covering manufacturing and material defects.
As vehicle technology evolves rapidly, is Motaquip well-placed to meet this curve and support garages?
Remaining on the cusp of an ever-evolving market is nothing new for Motaquip; it’s something we’ve been doing for well over four decades. As an aftermarket brand, our ethos is to offer OE-matching quality and that means keeping pace with the technological advancements of vehicle manufacturers. One such example is the inclusion of Electronic Parking Brake (EPB) motors into caliper units on selected vehicles, particularly VAG models. Glance at our eCatalogue and you will find parts, such as VBC408L and VBC408R, with the built-in EPB motor to directly match the OE specification.
We also have a growing number of steering and suspension components in-range that are manufactured from aluminium rather than traditional steel. Once again, this matches the OE designs, which are opting for lightweight aluminium to reduce vehicle kerb weight.
What should garages look out for the rest of 2024 and beyond?
By the time this article is published, Motaquip will have made an appearance at the bi-annual Automechanika Frankfurt exhibition, an event that plays an important role in the development of the brand. Whilst a mainstay of the UK aftermarket, Motaquip is also expanding globally, and Automechanika Frankfurt is a platform to further fuel this growth. We will be hoping to add to a distribution network that already includes territories, such as Ireland, Spain, Slovenia, Romania, and even Barbados!
You should also expect to see plenty more of Motaquip, as you browse the trade media and access digital platforms. Motaquip is making a push into social media, particularly Facebook, where we are keen to build our aftermarket community. This push has seen over two million Motaquip impressions on Facebook in the past three months, and we are looking to maintain this trajectory. Hopefully we’ll get a few PMM readers heading over to follow our page having read this article!
